Fires of Change (The Fire Blossom Saga)

by Sarah Lark

  “It’s still not right, it—maybe he could adopt both of you.”

  Linda watched Fitz throw the table and chair onto the wagon, even though the furniture actually belonged to Irene. She began to feel angry.

  Irene smiled sadly. “He loves me, Linda, but not that much. A man is a man, whether he’s twenty or sixty. He wants to get something for his money. So he gets me, body and all, by day and by night. He won’t want it that often. And he’s clean, Linda. He smells nice.”

  Linda didn’t know what else to say. Irene had made the only intelligent decision.

  “I’ll miss you,” Linda said softly.

  Irene hugged her. “I’ll miss you too. It’s such a pity that you won’t be able to come to my wedding. It will be a proper wedding, you know? In the church. Paddy and I were only married quickly by some fellow in the prospectors’ camp, between two shifts on the goldfield. That doesn’t count.”

  Linda wondered if she’d even told Oppenheimer about that marriage. Perhaps the old bullion dealer had decided for himself how little it mattered.

  “I’m going to have a wedding gown. And everyone is coming, the postmaster and the banker and their wives. I’m becoming a proper lady, Linda. The postmaster and the banker congratulated us. Can you imagine that?”

  Irene’s voice became more animated. She had surely always dreamed of such a wedding. Linda tried to smile and be happy for her. She didn’t know much about Jewish people, but if the bullion dealer was getting married in a Christian ceremony to make Irene happy, he must think a lot of the girl. And in Queenstown, the only thing that might be gossiped about would be her age. No one would know anything about her less-than-ladylike past.

  “In any case, I wish you luck,” Linda said and hugged her friend tightly. “I would have loved to come to your wedding.”

  Fitz passed Irene the bay’s reins. “It’s a pity that I didn’t think of visiting Lester on the way here. Perhaps I could have exchanged him for another horse.”

  Linda put her head in her hands. Fitz was giving up his horse only because he was afraid of the ruffians from Queenstown, who would probably also head for the west coast. He somehow didn’t understand the necessity of paying his debts.

  He patted the bay on its neck regretfully. “Come on, Lindy, let’s get out of here.”

  Linda was still in shock when Fitz urged Brianna into a trot and turned onto the road to Christchurch. They would leave the same way they had come, and then after Christchurch, they would turn west and travel over the mountains. Linda was terrified about the journey over Arthur’s Pass. During the sheep drives, she’d had to travel in the foothills of the Southern Alps, and it had often been difficult and dangerous. Now, in the snow and ice, they would have to go much higher.

  “Can’t we spend the winter in Christchurch?” she asked unhappily.

  She leaned against Fitz, seeking warmth. They’d driven through the first night, and had only stopped the following day for Brianna to rest briefly. Linda was chilled to the bone and exhausted. Amy nestled around her feet. It had started to snow. Winter was here, and up in the Alps, it would rage with all of its ferocity.

  Fitz shrugged. “I don’t know, sweetheart. I was very glad to get away from there.”

  Linda sat up abruptly. “Fitz, do you owe money to people in Christchurch too?”

  Fitz kept his eyes forward. “It must be too long ago to count now.”

  Linda groaned. “The people you owe probably see things very differently. What’s going to happen to us, Fitz?”

  Fitz took her by the shoulders. “Are you going to start that again?” he asked, but his voice sounded different, tense and annoyed. “I’ve told you so many times, it doesn’t help at all to moan about things. Life goes on. And hey, Lindy, the west coast is full of gold! Nice, fresh gold.”

  Linda turned away. According to everything she’d heard, the west coast was more full of thieves than anything else. She didn’t want to go there. But she didn’t know what else they could do. She wondered if she should try to convince Fitz to go to the North Island. She missed Ida and Karl so much, and above all Carol. How was her sister faring?

  Chapter 43

  “Aside from my pleasure in your enchanting company, I’ve asked you to come because a possibility for you to continue your journey has finally arisen.”

  General Cameron raised his wine glass in a toast before telling Carol and Mara the details. He had invited the two of them to dinner again, along with Bill Paxton, whose work he obviously valued. As for Carol and Mara, the general’s feelings were mixed. Carol had been criticizing him persistently since she’d witnessed the eviction of the Maori along the Patea River. She thought his politics concerning the native people were a complete debacle. Bill Paxton tried to reassure the sisters that Cameron basically shared their opinion. They’d discussed it just the day before.

  “The general doesn’t at all enjoy violently appropriating land for the governor,” Bill said. “He’s told Grey several times that it’s not his job.”

  “What is his job, then?” Mara asked.

  Bill shrugged. “He’s a soldier. A commanding officer. This was presented to him as a war, and his job is to win.”

  “By destroying peaceful tribes and not touching Haumene’s fort?” Carol said indignantly.

  “The tribes are being removed at the governor’s orders,” Bill said. “Cameron himself would prefer not to go about it so—directly. As for the fort, he’s depending on starvation and isolation. Attacking it has proven to be inefficient. Cameron has suffered countless defeats over the last few years. Siege wars aren’t his strength; they cost time and are ineffective. And experience has shown that Maori warriors won’t wait indefinitely for the battle to come to them. At some point, the Hauhau will come looking for a fight. If it’s possible then to lure them onto open ground, Cameron will be at an advantage. But he could shoot at the palisades of their pa for months without having much effect.”

  “The way he’s treating people is still horrible,” Carol insisted. “And a strategic disaster.” Ever since Patea, she’d regarded the general quite coldly.

  But this evening, he’d awakened her curiosity. “What possibility to continue our journey? Are you going to provide us with an escort to Auckland?”

  “In a way,” Cameron replied. “I can’t spare any of my people, as I explained when you arrived. However, we’ve recently captured some new Hauhau recruits from the east coast. We want to take them to Auckland—get them out of the area, scare them so they’ll go back to their tribes and give up the Hauhau ideas. I’m assigning twenty men to the convoy. That should be enough security for you as well. If you want to continue your journey, you may ride with them.”

  Carol beamed. “Of course we will! Thank you, we—”

  “Excuse me, but perhaps you shouldn’t make up your mind so hastily, Miss Carol,” Bill Paxton interjected. He looked more than worried. “I mean, without contradicting you, General, the route is in no way safe! Of course the land along the river is currently at peace, and even if the tribes are still hiding in the woods, they would hardly dare to attack. But the convoy will have to go right past Haumene’s stronghold in Weraroa.”

  “Which is constantly losing strategic value,” the general said, his eyes flashing. He was very content with the way things had developed. Weraroa was now almost completely isolated from the land controlled by the English.

  “Haumene is still mustering his warriors there,” Bill retorted. “Please don’t get me wrong, General. I completely support your decision to send the prisoners to Auckland—”

  “That is a great joy and honor to me,” the general said sarcastically. “How pleasing, Lieutenant Paxton, that you approve of my decision.”

  Bill’s face turned red, but he continued anyway. “Still, I think it would be extraordinarily dangerous for Miss Carol and Miss Margaret to join that convoy. And unnecessary, as you say yourself. Weraroa is isolated. Before long, we will either take over the fort, or the Maori
will give it up. You should stay here until then, Miss Carol. Please, don’t put yourselves in danger.”

  Mara raised her eyebrows. “I’m not in danger on Maori land,” she said haughtily. “I’m much more likely to hear a warrior sneaking up on me than your troops are.”

  “And then what?” Bill asked. “Will you make the prisoners and all twenty soldiers disappear? Miss Mara—”

  “We don’t have to decide immediately,” Carol said. “I think for now we should thank the general for his offer and apply ourselves to the delicacies that the cook has conjured for us. This, at least, I will miss.” She gave a charming smile. “When do you need an answer, General?”

  Cameron signaled a steward to refill his guests’ glasses. “The convoy will depart tomorrow morning.”

  “It’s extremely dangerous, Carol! I don’t care what the general says. You can’t go!”

  After dinner, Bill had accompanied the sisters back to their quarters. Now the two of them were walking Fancy, and Mara had retired to her room. She had said she was going to pack.

  Carol sighed. “Bill, we can’t stay here forever.” In recent weeks, the two had begun to use each other’s first names when they were alone, and talking about more personal matters. “If the general thinks the journey is safe—”

  “It takes you past the fort where two thousand bloodthirsty warriors are so crowded together that they’re stepping on each other’s toes! Of course Haumene is keeping quiet for now because our troops keep passing by. But if he gets wind of the prisoner convoy to Auckland, that will change. If he doesn’t make a show of force, his followers will lose faith. It’s a huge risk, Carol. Please don’t go!”

  Carol toyed with the fringe of her shawl, feeling undecided. In spite of the generally mild temperatures of the North Island, the winter air was quite chilly.

  “Mara would be disappointed,” she murmured.

  “Mara is still a child,” Bill argued. “And besides, Carol—” He took off his uniform jacket and draped it over her shoulders as they walked. There were trees between the cabins and the palisade. They provided a little protection from the wind and a bit of privacy from the military base. “Carol, I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time. Listen, I—you—we—one could say that we’ve become quite good friends over the last few weeks.”

  Carol furrowed her brow. “Weren’t we always that, Bill? I’ve always been very fond of you.”

  Bill beamed. “Then is it all right if I get my hopes up, Carol? You feel the same, then? That we’ve gotten closer?”

  Carol stopped and turned to face the young lieutenant. “You mean, as a couple?”

  “How else would I mean it?” Bill said, and laughed nervously.

  Carol considered this for a moment. “Bill,” she said, “to be very honest, I haven’t been thinking about that. Perhaps right at the beginning on the General Lee. Just playfully, when Linda teased me and asked me if I didn’t want to trade in my fiancé for you . . .”

  “And did you tell her?” Bill asked.

  “Back then, it was completely out of the question for me,” Carol said honestly. “I loved Oliver. I figured you were just flirting, enjoying the time on board. Of course you were so kind, especially later, after the catastrophe. I like you very, very much. But . . .” She shrugged helplessly.

  “You’re not in love with me,” Bill said bitterly.

  Carol shook her head. “No. I haven’t gotten that far yet, Bill. My head is still too full of other things. And after Oliver—”

  “Do you still love him?”

  “No!” Carol’s voice was decisive. “He’s a—a—I’ve banished him from my heart, Bill, believe me. It’s just I’m still so disappointed, and so hurt, that at the moment I don’t want any man. I want to go to my mother and cry on her shoulder and lick my wounds. I think we’re going to take the general up on his offer, Bill. I want to go home! At least, to whatever kind of home I have left.”

  Bill gently put a hand on her arm. “Carol, I could make a home for you. If you marry me, then I only need to say the word. In six months at the latest, the military settlers program will begin. As soon as Weraroa has been evacuated, the parcels will be assigned. We could have a farm. They’ll probably promote me first, and that means we’d get quite a bit of land.”

  “You want me to dance on Maori graves? You can’t be serious!”

  Bill groaned to himself. He should have foreseen that reaction. “Someone is going to take this land. It won’t matter if it’s us or someone else. The Maori won’t get it back. At least think about it, Carol. You could have sheep again, and we could have a fresh start.” He patted Fancy. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Fancy?” he said with a laugh. “A few hundred sheep for you, and your mistress for me?”

  Fancy wagged her tail.

  Carol’s eyes flashed in annoyance. “Good thing it’s not up to the dog,” she said sharply. “Bill, I certainly don’t want to marry you under these circumstances! There’s no blessing on stolen land. And as I already told you, it’s too soon. At the moment, I don’t need or want a husband.” She turned away.

  Bill put his arms around her. “Can’t I change your mind? Isn’t there something I can do?” He pulled her close and attempted to kiss her.

  Carol pushed him away. “Yes, turn back time so the last two years haven’t happened! Make everything the way it was before. Then we can talk about it. But like this—” She tore herself out of his grip and dashed back to her quarters.

  The next morning, Carol and Mara joined the prisoner convoy and headed north. Bill’s request to join the group as well was turned down by the upper ranks of army command.

  “You’re too important for that,” the major who had brought him the news said. “You’re doing top-quality work as a liaison officer here. The general doesn’t want to risk anything happening to you.”

  Chapter 44

  The general had assigned twenty heavily armed soldiers to guard the eight prisoners, and in Carol’s mind, it was overkill. The wide path along the Patea River offered excellent visibility, and was hardly a good place for an ambush. Bill had surely been overreacting—or perhaps just creating an excuse for Carol to stay longer. Still, she felt bad for rejecting him so rudely. Bill’s proposal had caught her off guard.

  Once Carol had time to think, she saw things more clearly. Of course she wasn’t ready to get engaged. The wounds left by Oliver were still too fresh. Additionally, she was worried about Linda, who had disappeared to God only knew where with her careless, frivolous husband. She was also still mourning for Chris and Cat. At the same time, Bill was one of the loveliest men she’d ever met. He was dependable, good-looking, and kind. And back aboard the ship, a few sparks had indeed flown between them. Carol had enjoyed it when he held her in his arms while they were dancing and murmured compliments in her ear. Her heart had pounded when he laughed and caught her each time rough seas sent her staggering over the deck. Honestly, she needn’t have disappointed him so completely. She could have at least invited him to write to her and perhaps to visit in Russell.

  This morning, Carol had hoped he would come and say goodbye. Then she would have apologized and made the invitation. But Bill hadn’t appeared.

  Unhappily, Carol urged her horse into a trot behind the others. The convoy was proceeding painfully slowly. While the soldiers rode, the Maori prisoners had to walk, and they deliberately hung back to slow down the journey. Mara’s lively white steed was chomping at the bit.

  “Can’t the warriors get a move on?” she asked the captain in charge of the redcoats. “There’s absolutely no reason for them to walk so slowly. When warriors are traveling, they usually run. To keep pace with the Ngai Tahu, I used to have to get my horse into a canter.”

  The captain shrugged and glanced at his pretty travel companion. There wasn’t much of Mara’s slender figure to be seen under the voluminous riding coat, but her beautiful face and thick, braided hair turned the young man’s head. He smiled winningly.

&nbs
p; “The fellows aren’t in a hurry. And the chains are uncomfortable for them. Fortunately, we’re in no particular rush. Just look at it this way, Miss Jensch. The slowness of the prisoners gives us more time to talk, which is quite a pleasure for me.”

  Mara rolled her eyes. “What exactly do you find enjoyable about it?” she asked provokingly. “I can’t think of anything I’d like to talk about in this cold, and my horse is practically falling asleep.”

  Carol had to smile. Mara was right. The journey was anything but pleasant. It was drizzling and cold. The mountains that peeked through the thick clouds were completely covered with snow. Carol, too, would have preferred to spur her horse into a canter, and the soldiers surely felt the same. On the other hand, she felt for the prisoners. The frigid path was muddy, and the men were barefoot and underdressed. The Hauhau recruits had been captured while wearing their traditional warrior garb, and the English army saw no reason to provide them with warmer clothes. As it began to rain harder, the men padded behind them with their heads lowered. The water soaked their warrior’s knots and ran down their bare backs. They must have been suffering, but they didn’t let it show.

  Carol pulled her hood up over her head and looked around for Fancy. She wasn’t happy about the pace either. The dog trotted morosely behind the horses.

  “Do you really want to press on today?” the commanding officer of the last military base on the river asked them.

  The convoy had reached the base around teatime. Carol and Mara were grateful to at least warm up a little, thoughtfully served by a young captain whose attempts at flirting had rolled off Mara’s back like the rain off her oilskin coat.

  “You’re welcome to spend the night here,” the sergeant said. “We have some space in the barn. It’ll be more comfortable than tents, at least, and safer. You do know you’re approaching Weraroa, right?”

  The captain nodded. “Thank you, but we should try to get a little bit farther,” he replied. “I can’t believe it’s taken the entire day for what’s usually a two-hour ride! Actually, we wanted to get past Weraroa today.”